Since making his NHL debut in 1994-95, Oleg Tverdovsky has developed into a dangerous offensive force. His skating, puck handling, and lethal shot have made him a dangerous foe on the power play as well as five-on-five.

Born in Donetsk, USSR, Tverdovsky played in the CIS league with Krylja Sovetov. He was chosen second overall by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 1994 and played a few games for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL during the owner's lockout. He suited up for 36 games once the season resumed and showed impressive offensive skill.

Two-thirds of the way through the 1995-96 season he was part of the package sent to the Winnipeg Jets for star forward Teemu Selanne. Tverdovsky remained with the franchise when it relocated to Phoenix in 1996-97 and scored a career high 55 points. His development was curtailed after a contract holdout in 1997-98, but he bounced back to play the best defensive hockey of his career in 1998-99. Prior to the 1999-00 season, the talented blueliner returned to Anaheim in exchange for Travis Green and a first round draft pick. Tverdovsky topped the 50-point mark in 2000 and 2001 and injected life into the club's power play. He also ignored a series of nagging injuries to lead the Ducks with an average of nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game in 2000-01.

The smooth skating defenceman went on to play one more season with the Ducks before he was acquired by the New Jersey Devils in the summer of 2002. Injuries plagued Tverdovsky in his first season with the Devils, limiting him to a mere 50 regular season games before helping the Devils capture their third Stanley Cup in nine years in a hard fought seven game series against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

Coming off a Stanley Cup in 2003, Tverdovsky opted to return to his homeland and play in the Russian Elite League in 2003-04 and 2004-05 before having his NHL rights acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes in the summer of 2005. In his first year with the Hurricanes Tverdovsky was a regular in the team's line up lacing up for 72 games in 2005-06. In the playoffs that year, after beating his former teammates the New Jersey Devils and advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals, Tverdovsky found himself in familiar territory. A thrilling seven-game series followed and led to the Hurricanes first ever Stanley Cup, for Tverdovsky it was his second Cup in three years.

Prior to the start of the 2006-07 season, Tverdovsky was sent to the Los Angeles Kings with prospect Jack Johnson for Tim Gleason and Eric Belanger.

On the international stage, Tverdovsky has represented Russia at the 1994 World Junior Championships, the 1996 World Cup, the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 1996 and 2004 World Championships.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1992-93

Krylja Sovetov Moscow

CIS

21

0

1

1

6

6

0

0

0

0

1992-93

Russia

EJC-A

6

1

2

3

0

1993-94

Krylja Sovetov Moscow

CIS

46

4

10

14

22

3

1

0

1

2

1993-94

Russia

WJC-A

7

1

5

6

6

1993-94

Russia

EJC-A

5

1

9

10

22

1994-95

Brandon Wheat Kings

WHL

7

1

4

5

4

1994-95

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

NHL

36

3

9

12

14

-6

1995-96

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

NHL

51

7

15

22

35

0

1995-96

Winnipeg Jets

NHL

31

0

8

8

6

-7

6

0

1

1

0

1995-96

Russia

WC-A

3

0

1

1

0

1996-97

Russia

W-Cup

4

1

0

1

0

1996-97

Phoenix Coyotes

NHL

82

10

45

55

30

-5

7

0

1

1

0

1997-98

Hamilton Bulldogs

AHL

9

8

6

14

2

+12

1997-98

Phoenix Coyotes

NHL

46

7

12

19

12

+1

6

0

7

7

0

1998-99

Phoenix Coyotes

NHL

82

7

18

25

32

+11

6

0

2

2

6

1999-00

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

NHL

82

15

36

51

30

+5

2000-01

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

NHL

82

14

39

53

32

-11

2000-01

Russia

WC-A

7

2

2

4

2

-1

2001-02

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

NHL

73

6

26

32

31

0

2001-02

Russia

Olympics

6

1

1

2

0

+5

2002-03

New Jersey Devils

NHL

50

5

8

13

22

+2

15

0

3

3

0

2003-04

Avangard Omsk

Russia

57

16

17

33

58

11

0

2

2

2

2003-04

Russia

WC-A

6

0

1

1

6

-1

2004-05

Russia

W-Cup

3

0

0

0

0

+1

2004-05

Avangard Omsk

Russia

48

5

15

20

65

11

0

3

3

35

2005-06

Carolina Hurricanes

NHL

72

3

20

23

37

-1

5

0

0

0

0

2006-07

Los Angeles Kings

NHL

26

0

4

4

10

-10

2006-07

Manchester Monarchs

AHL

14

5

8

13

2

+3

14

2

9

11

14

2007-08

Salavat Yulayev Ufa

Russia

43

6

10

16

58

16

2

6

8

10

2008-09

Salavat Yulayev Ufa

KHL

48

8

19

27

32

2

0

0

0

0

2008-09

Russia

WC-A

9

2

2

4

6

+7

2009-10

Salavat Yulayev Ufa

KHL

42

8

13

21

38

16

1

4

5

4

2010-11

Salavat Yulayev Ufa

KHL

40

7

9

16

20

7

1

0

1

12

2011-12

Salavat Yulayev Ufa

KHL

12

0

0

0

8

2011-12

Metallurg Magnitogorsk

KHL

24

6

5

11

18

4

0

1

1

2

2012-13

Metallurg Magnitogorsk

KHL

25

0

5

5

18

3

0

0

0

0

NHL Totals

713

77

240

317

291

45

0

14

14

6

EJC-A All-Star Team (1994)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1997)

Traded to Winnipeg by Anaheim with Chad Kilger and Anaheim's 3rd round pick (Per-Anton Lundstrom) in 1996 NHL Draft for Teemu Selanne, Marc Chouinard and Winnipeg's 4th round pick (later traded to Toronto - later traded to Montreal - Montreal selected Kim Staal) in 1996 NHL Draft, February 7, 1996. Transferred to Phoenix after Winnipeg franchise relocated, July 1, 1996. Traded to Anaheim by Phoenix for Travis Green and Anaheim's 1st round pick (Scott Kelman) in 1999 NHL Draft, June 26, 1999. Traded to New Jersey by Anaheim with Jeff Friesen and Maxim Balmochnykh for Petr Sykora, Mike Commodore, Jean-Francois Damphousse and Igor Pohanka, July 6, 2002. Signed as a free agent by Omsk (Russia), August 29, 2003. Signed as a free agent by Carolina, August 4, 2005. Traded to Los Angeles by Carolina with Jack Johnson for Eric Belanger and Tim Gleason, September 29, 2006. Officially announced his retirement, December 19, 2013.